Swachh Toycathon: Reimagining India’s Toy Industry, Let’s Put Waste to Play

CHALLENGE

Seek ideas for design and early proto type of toys from waste at home/workplace and surroundings.

CONTEXT

To unleash the inner creative potential by critical, spatial thinking, kinesthetic and modeling skills by sharing ideas, constructing models, and using ideas to imagine a new and novel toy. Transforming waste material to toys for children can be a tool for learning and enjoyment simultaneously.

CHALLENGE

Seek ideas for design and models of games and play-zones in park/open spaces utilizing waste/recycled material.

CONTEXT

To transform waste/unused/recycled material into interactive play-zones. To create spaces for people to unite, engage in physical activity, interact with others and with nature. Parks can be a centre of fun and exciting activities like creative workshops, treasure hunt, having a picnic with upcycled furniture, hosting a photo contest with upcycled artefacts as backdrop, swings of different kinds from old textile and furniture, jump rope from textile and coconut waste, an obstacle Course, finding one’s way through a maze.

CHALLENGE

Seek ideas/Solutions/Working models for a sustainable and climate conscious Toy value chain like innovative material choices, packaging design, and reuse-reshare models.

CONTEXT

To encourage circularity in toy industry- Circular systems employ reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling to create a system that keeps materials in perpetual circulation closed-loop system. It’s time for transition from a linear ‘take-make-waste’ mindset to a multi lifecycle circular approach. Industrial ecology encourages inter organizational cooperation based on the reclamation of waste materials, exchanging materials and energy, inspired by the circular functioning of natural ecosystem.

1

• Fun factor
• Value to the user
• Creativeness

2

• Value to traditional Indian Toys themes and designs
• Usability
• Structural Integrity
• Aesthetics

3

• Suitability for Young children
• Material Properties

4

• What percentage of the raw materials used in toys was derived from waste or recycled materials?
• Whether the material used is a commonly found waste item

5

• Can this model be replicated in other contexts?
• Can the concept be scaled to commercial manufacturing of toys

6

• Packaging Material required
• Availability of raw material in geographic proximity
• Emissions from manufacturing process

1. Make sure all toys to be used by children and adults are clean and free from sharp edges. Food containers, such as milk or egg cartons, should be thoroughly washed and dried.
2. Parents ensure that children do not have access to hazardous items/material.
3. Use Washable recycled fabric
4. Choose paints, crayons, markers and other art materials that say “non-toxic.”
5. Edges on joining parts of components should be blunt.
6. Arrows used by children should have soft tips made out of cork or rubber.
7. Take care while using magnets, small marbles, metal balls
8. Toys which are powered by battery or electricity to be made with precautions and under supervision of an elder or expert.

1. Do not use meat containers.
2. avoid using toilet paper rolls.
3. Avoid toys made from fragile materials such as glass and ceramics.
4. Avoid old wooden objects with chipped paint and rough surface.
5. Toys should not have sharp points or edges that can hurt a small child.
6. Avoid toys that make sudden loud noises
7. Avoid using long metal wires, cords or strings which can be harmful.
8. Avoid toys that can fire things not made for use in the toy, such as pencils or nails
9. Do not use flammable liquids